Epiphany ‘fèves’

For the Christian feast day of Epiphany it is a tradition in many countries to bake a festive ‘king cake’, which marks the visit of the three kings to the infant Jesus. Part of this tradition involves baking a token into the cake, with the recipient having particular privileges bestowed upon them for the coming year. In France, king cake – galette du rois – comes in two distinct types. In the north of the country, it is a tart with a frangipan filling, whereas in the south it is made with brioche dough and forms a ring, decorated with candied fruit.  Whichever version it is, the token, which was originally a dried broad bean, is an essential feature.

The French for bean is fève, and although they are now made of metal or porcelain and come in many different shapes, they are still known as fèves. Le Petit Atelier de Paris, a design duo with a workshop and storefront in the Rue de Montmorency in Paris, made these beautiful porcelain fèves for the famous Poilâne bakery to use in their galettes, which appear to be of the northern persuasion. Presumably customers are reminded to exercise great care with their molars when enjoying their festive treat…